


The Message, and The Mistake

by Rosalee_Mariabellum



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Big Brother Jason, Gen, death is mentioned but no one dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 17:23:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20679101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosalee_Mariabellum/pseuds/Rosalee_Mariabellum
Summary: Jason and Marinette are Penpals/Internet friends/whatever (see au from saturday)He has it set up so that if his phone blows up (he died in an explosion the first time, he would use it) there's a cloud message sent to Marinette.Now imagine that Marinette has Queen B and Rykugo out, because they're frens and I want them to be. There's an interview going on, when the yoyo chimes.





	The Message, and The Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> My friend @Ellerahs wrote this on the Maribat Discord and gave me permission to post it here.  
Check them out on tumblr!
> 
> Also the prompt who’s started this all is the handy work of @disorganizedkitten  
Check them out too!!

@disorganizedkitten

Jason and Marinette are Penpals/Internet friends/whatever (see au from saturday)  
He has it set up so that if his phone blows up (he died in an explosion the first time, he would use it) there's a cloud message sent to Marinette.  
Now imagine that Marinette has Queen B and Rykugo out, because they're frens and I want them to be. There's an interview going on, when the yoyo chimes.

Because HM and Mayura and CN can all send messages, Chloe takes the phone first, and tells LB to keep talking. If it's important they'll tell her.  
So Kagami and Chloe read the message, and at first they think it's fake, because really? But then they keep reading.  
And Jason sends Marinette everything. His secret identity, something sentimental that's supposed to be a secret between them, and a lot of him telling her he loves her and he's sorry she has to learn like this but he wanted her to know right away when he died.  
So Kagami looks it up. Sure enough, there's a livestream of a burning building with a headline about a fight with the Joker, Red Hood, and Robin.  
Chloe goes to pull LB away, because heck this is important.  
"Actually, the interview's over."  
"What do you mean, Queenie? Was the alert a break in the HM case?"  
Chloe's expression is wavering but she doesn't want the media sharks to take the mourning that she knows is coming and make a spectical. "I wish. Come on."  
"Really, what happened?" They don't answer, just try to pull Ladybug away. "You're acting like someone died, what gives?" She's feeling the dread already, but it's not quite there yet.  
Kagami is who shows her. For a moment, she's confused. What is Jason trying to say?

And then she reads farther, and it hits her. She has to stop reading, because the sudden tears have her vision blurry, and she's trying to figure out how it's a trap. He can't be dead. He just can't. It's a trick.  
It has to be a trick.  
Right?

Apparently she's been thinking out loud, because Rykugo shakes her head and says they already checked.  
"I'm so sorry," Queen B says, patting her shoulder like they do in films. Ladybug collapses into her.  
She's an ocean away and he's hurt and probably dead and Jason was Never Supposed to Die. For all the hits she's taken over the years, Lila, Hawkmoth, Chloe, nothing has hurt like this.  
Her brother is dead, and this is something she can't reverse

——————————————————

@Ellerahs

Marinette can’t believe what she’s reading, Jason, her best friend, the man who’s practically her brother can’t be dead, ‘He just can’t! But… how else can it be explained? This is his number… all our favorite memories are mentioned, and even a few of our sadder secrets… but what’s this about him being “Red Hood”? Who even is that? Unless… he never did talk much about Gotham’s heroes (though he always insisted they were vigilantes) could this have been why? He was one of them? But then, how did he die? What possibly could have killed him?… wait! Chloe and Kagami said it was real, how would they know? Was there media coverage?’

Marinette runs to the nearest tv and starts flicking through the international news channels until, “There!” And sure enough, a burning, partially collapsed building is being shown as the newscaster spoke over it of a “Joker attack” and how “The local heroes (vigilantes Jason’s voice corrects in her head) were combating it before being caught in the explosions and how witnesses site seeing The Joker fleeing the scene shortly after-“ But she’s already running for Master Fu’s to grab the Horse Miraculous so she can get to Gotham!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain!

That’s all Jason was, was more pain then he could remember, (and that was saying something considering his lifestyle) but he had to get up. He HAD to tell Mari, his little Pixie-Pop (the baby sister he never had) that he was ok… well, not ok, but he was alive! And that was more then she was gonna think if he didn’t get his hands on a phone, so, “For the last goddamn time Tim, give me your fucking phone!”

“No! You just got out of surgery from being in an explosion and are barely conscious, (how are you conscious by the way? You’re on enough drugs to knock out an elephant!) there is a 110% possible case of you having a concussion there is no way I’m giving you any phone, let alone my baby! Do you have any idea how many upgrades I’ve put into this?”

“110 isn’t a real percentage, I don’t care, and give me the phone I need to tell her I’m not dead!”

“Noo! You’re obviously delusional. We’ve already made sure everyone who matters knows your not dead, and there’s no WAY you have anyone, let alone a girl, who matters to you that we wouldn’t know about.”

“Yes there is she’s my sister now GIVE!”

“…”

“…”

“…I’m not cut out for this crap, I’m getting Dick, you’re obviously not gonna die in the ten minutes you’ll be alone if you’re able to bullshit.”

“Nonononono! You don’t understand she’s gonna freak, I can’t put her though that, you can’t leave me here without A PHONE I HAVE TO-!” And like that, Tim’s gone taking his phone with him and Jason still hasn’t let Mari know he’s alive! “goddamnit~”

Eight minutes later, as Jason’s on his third round of cursing out everything and everyone that’s lead him to this point, (except Mari, never his sweet little Pixie-Pop) there’s a bright light and something, no, someone enters the room from it. Said someone is in what appears to be a red spandex suit with black polka dots, but he knows from who he works and lives with that just because it looks like spandex, doesn’t mean it is spandex, and is immediately on his guard. But between being Jason, being pissed, and being on a whole bunch of meds, he still yells, “And who in the fuck are you supposed to be?!” Before the figure (who he’s only now noticing is absolutely TINY) turns and says,

“Jason! I found you!” And now, he is officially freaked out…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette had never been to Gotham in her life, but Kaalki has (even if it wasn’t Gotham at the time) and they make their way directly to the collapsing building from the news report, and Marinette quickly uses what magic she can to make sure it doesn’t collapse any more than it has. Even if she can’t fix it, she can at least stop it from getting worse.

“Ok, now I just have to find him… in all this…” ‘…’ She stands there frozen for a moment, not knowing what to do, and horrified of what she might find. “Come on, Ladybug, just get it done and over with!”

Marinette mutters to herself as she starts to move about, “I mean, what’s the worst that could be there?” She’s slowly becoming more and more frantic in her search, “Its not like I’m gonna find his dead body, broken and lifeless…” She moves another large pile of rubble with nothing under it, “His eyes vacant and staring…” she walks through a half broken wall, “With accusations that I wasn’t there for him…” She jumps to another floor, “Surrounded by a puddle of blood…” She walks through one of the few whole walls remaining, uncaring as it was simply in her way, “His blood…” She freezes up again, “Red…” She stares at her own hands, “Red as the suit I’m wearing…” standing there, transfixed as she is, Marinette is unaware of the news crew that was still there and had captured everything she’s been doing.

Shaking herself out of the spiraling stupor before she can fall to far was pure habit from years of fighting Hawkmoth, it had nothing to do with getting over anything. Making up her mind to keep looking, Marinette drops down the three floors back to ground level to start over when someone taps her shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michu wasn’t sure if they were freezing or burning up standing in front of the still smoldering building, why did they have to get stuck with the Joker Attack story? They were still an intern for peat’s sake! At least they were getting exposure? But with everything done and over with all that was left was the clean up, which wouldn’t actually start till the morning when its light out so Michu decided to start their closing lines, “Concluding tonight’s coverage of this attack, we ask all our viewers to be on the lookout for The Joker, and to sta-“ FLASH “What was that? Wha-?” There was somebody at the wreckage, “Who?” This new individual seemed to be wearing a red and black polka dotted onesie, and being the “good newscaster” caught on screen, Michu had no choice but to call out, “Hey! It’s not safe over there! The building’s still unstable…” their words grew quite and died as said building seemed to hold itself a bit higher, a bit straighter the closer this mysterious “New Hero” drew… because that’s all this person could be, with that outfit and the things that were happening…(unless it was yet another villain, Michu desperately hoped it wasn’t) before turning to their camera crew and reengaging their audience.

After watching this new “Hero” search the ground floor, moving massive piles of rubble to do so, jump floors to continue their search, (walking through a couple walls all the while, and ‘what in the ever living-?’) they stops in their tracks to stare at their hands for a few minutes, before just dropping three stories to the ground floor again and ‘This is my chance!’ Michu approaches the “Hero” and finds that first of all, its a “Heroine” and second of all, she’s tiny! Ridiculously so! And Michu finds themselves unsure if that makes them feel more or less comfortable with their idea, but decides to go through with it regardless, “Excuse me?” They tap the “Heroine” on her shoulder, “Could I-“ ‘why is my view point is different?… and what is that in my back?!’ “

“Who are you?” Says a voice one might compare to bells were it not so obviously upset…and their view points changed again, “Why did you approach me?” As their vision clears and focuses their met with the bluest eyes they’ve ever seen in a face that’s upside down…no, they’re the one who’s upside down, “What do you want?”

“To not hurt?” Confusion flashes across those eyes before going back to wary anger, “My back hurts for some reason, I think I might’ve twisted something when you… what did you do to me?”

“I threw you, now answer my questions!” She snaps, but the pain goes away (‘was it my imagination, or did her hand just glow?’) and Michu can focus more easily on what’s in front of them. They are definitely*the one who’s upside down, and they appear to be suspended by, ‘is that a yo-yo?’ But their thoughts are interrupted as the “Heroine” shakes them, “I said, answer my questions.”

“I’m a newscaster, and I approached you to ask you some questions of my own seeing as you suddenly appears on the scene I’ve been covering for the past three hours and-“

“Three hours? You’ve been here for three hours?” The light in her eyes changed at that, like someone who was hopeless had just been handed a single ray of hope and they were willing to die before letting go, Michu didn’t much care for being between this “Heroine” and whatever it was she wanted at that moment.

“…

“Then you can tell me what happened to Red Hood, right!?” The gleam grew brighter, and for as much as they wanted to give this girl (for it was apparent now that’s all she was, a girl who’d lost something and just had someone hand her a way to get it back) Michu had heard how fiercely loyal and protective the Heroes of Gotham were. And they scared them more than this girl pulled at their heartstrings.

“………Why?” The gleam in her eyes turned back to anger (though this time colored by desperation) at the drawn out word, and if that wasn’t 

“He’s my brother that’s why!”

“…”

“…”

“…”

No one knew how to respond to that! What kinda response does anyone give to THAT!

“I think they took him to the Gotham General Hospital?” Apparently that one.

“Who said that!?” The girl snaps letting Michu down and turning her attention the the camera crew that had apparently slipped her notice till just then,

“Uh, I did?” Said Carl, poor stupid Carl,

“WHERE?!!” The girl was in Carl’s face in less then a second,

“Max Security ER I think?” Then there was another flash of light, and she was gone…

(WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK!??)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And who in the fuck are you supposed to be?!” Came a voice that could only be Jason’s, Marinette turned and sure enough there he was!

He had on a ridiculous helmet, but there could be no doubt on who it was, that build, the way he held himself, the tone and cadence of his speech, (not to mention the language itself) were all so completely Jason that she couldn’t help herself, “Jason! I found you!” She exclaimed, not thinking that suddenly have someone out your identity, no matter who or the circumstances, could be more then a bit concerning. (even more so when followed by, “I found you!”) She starts towards Jason, not noticing his increasing tension, when suddenly someone bangs the door open and both attentions are diverted to the new comer.

“Back away from the Red Hood if you know what’s good for you!” Marinette takes a moment to take in the appearance of this apparent opponent…it wasn’t the worst, but there was definitely room for improvement. Standing a good bit over her (but not Jason, Jason was bigger) he wore mainly black and red with gold accents and while the suit itself was ‘ok’ it had a cape, a cape! Honestly, the only things Marinette could bring herself approve of were his hair (which was a bit on the longer side, but not too much) and the stylized domino mask…but back to what he said…

“And who are you to tell me to get away from him?” She said, with no small amount of heat in her voice, putting herself between this stranger and the wounded Jason. Something seemed to surprise both men, though wether it was her words or actions she had no idea.

“If you don’t know who I am, I don’t see why it’s any of your business?” And with that the man struck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tim had no idea who this girl was, how she got in Jason’s room, or what she was doing, all he knew was he had heard raised voices and came running, telling Dick to go get Bruce, where he found this tiny (just like, soo tiny, you don’t understand how absolutely, ridiculously, absurdly tiny this girl was! She’d be completely adorable if she weren’t somehow scaring Jason, and that made her terrifying!) girl somehow looming over his wounded brother as said brother grew more tense with her slow advance before both of them turned their attentions on him. The next bit of information Tim knew was that he had to get this girl the hell away from Jason, and FAST, so he went for the tried and true intimidation tactics, “Back away from the Red Hood if you know what’s good for you!”

The small (‘smol! No! Stop that! Focus!’) girl seemed to turn a critical eye on him for a moment, but it was so brief Tim wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t imagined it, before turning completely towards him and placing herself between Tim and his brother (‘bad move smol one…No, bad! She is not “smol” she is dangerous!’) but what came out of her mouth caught both vigilantes off guard,

“And who are you to tell me to get away from him?” This was surprising not only because of what she said but how she said it, the amount of venom in her voice was not something directed at someone they had no grievance with.

But Tim could already here the rest of his family on their way, so after quick eye contact with Jason, he spat out “If you don’t know who I am, I don’t see why it’s any of your business?” And went on the attack!

Taking out his collapsible bo-staff Tim went to strike at the temple, but before his move could land the mystery girl had somehow made her way to his side. Decisively aborting his attack Tim instead went on the defensive and pulled his staff back towards himself and spinning it so that his opponent had to dodge again and put a bit more room between himself and her, that, he later learned, was where he messed up. Because next thing he knew he was looking at Batman Nightwing and Robin’s still faces from the window… and he was still moving, through said window breaking it and then he was free falling… from the eighth floor…

“FUCK MEEE!” Tim scrambled for his grappling gun, as he got it aimed for the window he was somehow thrown out. (‘how in the hell did she do that anyway?’) His aim rang true, (‘as always’) and he slowed his descent as to not dislocate his shoulder before hitting the recall and flying himself upward, back to the window, back to the fight, back to his brother! But when he got there, he heard something he couldn’t quite process as he was half way through the window and almost fell again…

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Say wut now?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dick ran as fast as he could, when he and Tim split after hearing voices in Jason’s room, running to get Bruce and the Baby Bird. The only reason he was the one running to get them (cuz he ‘wanted to be there protecting my family, damnit’) was he was slightly faster than Tim when it came to distance, and even tho it wasn’t too far they were definitely farther than what one would call “sprinting distance” so he was the obvious choice and they both knew it. “Boss! Bats! Big Man! 

“WHAT Nightwing?” Oh, right, ‘still on the field, stupid!’ Well then,

“Batman, Robin, I’ll explain on the way, but we gotta run!” He said turning slightly but never stoping his movement as he got to them, silently asking them to just shut up and follow, but Baby Bird was still too proud and stubborn for his own good at times.

“Why? What could possibly have you so-”

“Its Ja-!”

“Red Hood isn’t it?” Batman ended the conversation then and there as he started moving towards Jason’s room at a dead run, without even waiting for a reply, and that got Dami moving because there were very few things that could make The Batman move with such urgency.

So off the three ran, back through the halls of the relatively quiet hospital absolutely terrifying anyone the happed to pass.

They came to the room just in time to see Tim disengage his opponent, who was moving so quickly that Dick couldn’t get a clear image of them until… ‘Holy shit she’s tiny!’ Dick would probably have thought her adorable were it not for what came next, everything seemed to slow to a crawl as this mysterious girl took what appeared to be a yo-yo of all things off her hip and throw it at Tim before throwing Tim out the window with it. There was a moment where he seemed to make eye contact with the three who could not but watch in still horror as one of their own was flung out the eighth story window.

Then everything snapped back as Damian, his Baby Bird, snapped and practically threw himself at the stranger who had just wiped the floor with their brother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damian felt a rage he’d felt only once before, when his “mother” had tried to use him to kill Father, as he looked at the thing that just threw Drake, (his ‘brother damnit!’) out the window, and he let his training consume him as he hadn’t for years as he moved into battle. He felt Grayson on his heels and felt the calm of their teamwork playing over his rage and let it do its job as a temper for his impulses. As he took his first swipe he fully expected his enemy to dodge, and they did, but Nightwing was there with his escrima and his hit landed… to no effect? This bastard didn’t even flinch! ‘No matter, with the two of us this fool stands no chance, Father won’t even have to do anything.’ But contrary to his belief, The Batman not only stepped in, but pulled him and Nightwing back letting that thing be by their brother!

“What is the meaning of this?!” Damian demand of his Father not expecting the slightly softened expression the face that so rarely showed any expression, and found himself stunned into a still silence as his Father approached the individual who so brutally attacked Ti- Drake(!) not a few moments ago.

“She has made sure no harm came to Red Hood through out the conflict that has taken place here, even at her own expense.” It was now that Damian noticed how the en- the girl was holding herself in such a way that suggested pain in her right abdominal area.(‘right where Grayson hit her…’) “While the two of you…”

His Father turned slightly to address them more fully, “Had she dodged that last strike, there was a high likelihood it would have found a new target in Red Hood.” At that, Damian could feel himself pale and he had a strong feeling that Grayson’s face reflected his own.

“Would you by chance like an opportunity to explain yourself?” His Father asked the (admittedly diminutive) girl who had taken up a defenses position between them and Todd, (after his Father pointed it out, it was hard to miss her protective behavior and attitude in regards of Todd ‘how did I miss that?’) and saw her relax marginally.

“Actually,” (‘oh, so such a lovely sound exists…wait, what?’) “I would, thank you.” She said with a small nod to Father before continuing, “I came here to make sure Ja-“ three sets of eyebrows go up, not Todd’s though, (‘It appears he was already aware of her knowing his identity.’) “Red Hood was alive and well.” And it looks like she’s about to go into further detail when Todd goes and ruins everything (as usual) as he pipes up with.

“Yeeeeeaaah, about that!” The girl in red turned her attention towards Todd, “Why do you care? How do you know my name? And who are you?” And that was entirely the wrong thing to say as her spine went ramrod straight and she asked in a somewhat icy tone,

“Who am I?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette could not believe her ears, “Who am I?” A nod from Jason, “Who am I?” Another nod, though more hesitant. Marinette stoped and took a breath to make sure she didn’t kill the same man she had just spent so much time and effort trying to make sure was alive! After she felt she wasn’t in any danger of killing Jason she marched directly to him and grabbed him by the collar of his hospital gown and flung one leg over him so she could have full access to his face; or, well, what would be his face under that atrocious helmet. And at the top of her lungs yelled “I AM YOUR SISTER GODDAMNIT! YOU DO NOT GET TO PRACTICALLY DIE ON ME, COME BACK TO LIFE FOR ALL I‘M CONCERNED, THEN TRY TO GET ME KILLED AND ASK WHO I AM WHEN I COME TO SEE YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE ACTUALLY ALIVE AND NOT JUST MY MIND PLAYING TRICKS ON ME OUT OF DESPERATION, YOU FUCKING SHITHEAD!”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Say wut now?” The one in black and blue says before all hell breaks loose.

“Pixie-Pop!?!” Jason yelped as the one in red who had somehow managed to get back in the window (‘oh thank the kawami I didn’t kill him’) but who seemed to be stuck half in half out of the room screeched

“Wait, you mean he wasn’t shitting me when he said he had to let his sister know he was ok!?” And the one in blue started asking rapid fire questions,

“So you two are siblings? J, why’d you never bring up having a sister before?! (I feel so betrayed right now!) And, ohmygosh, ‘Pixie-Pop’!? Can I call you that too? How old are you? How SMALL are you?! How long have you been training to be able to do what you do?” The shortest one (not by much though) in black red and green with gold accents just looked like his hope in humanity had been crushed before his eyes, and the largest (by far) just looked so done with everything even through his cowl before he managed to quite everyone and calmly stated,

“I believe the two of you have some explaining to do…”


End file.
